Lauren Wagner knew what she was looking for: a space where she could confer with colleagues, meet with potential partners, and network with the founders of startup companies.
And Wagner, marketing director for a new app called OneRx, found it at WeWork.
Launched last August, OneRx is the latest project of the quickly growing healthcare company Truveris. But unlike the larger company, which focuses on cutting prescription drug costs for companies, OneRx is geared toward individuals.
So it makes sense that OneRx would need a space of its own, one that’s away from its parent company’s expansive offices in Midtown Manhattan. Wagner says that the WeWork space couldn’t be more convenient.
“For example, I use the space for meetings,” says Wagner. “But because it’s WeWork, I’m able to set up meetings in any of the offices. I can do them in New York, or I can do them in San Francisco.”
That was about two months ago. Wagner says her “pilot program” has been such a success that she convinced Julie Sun, the vice president of marketing at Truveris, to get a membership of her own. She joined two weeks ago.
“It’s a breath of fresh air,” says Sun, taking a seat in one of WeWork’s bustling common areas. “It was obvious that we needed to find a space that was more casual, more collaborative.”
Wagner says that she and Sun have found their new office so handy she’s pushing for other departments at Truveris to join the WeWork community.
“It could really benefit a company like ours,” she says. “For example, we don’t have a large enough sales team to open a West Coast office, but if they all had memberships, they could always have a place to drop in for a meeting.”
Sun says it doesn’t hurt to be around so many go-getters who are working on original apps. She says it’s inspiring for the people behind OneRx, an innovative app that lets patients keep track of their medications, download coupons that could save them big bucks, and—best of all—instantly compare the price of prescription drugs at the pharmacies in their area.
“You go to the doctor when you’re sick,” says Sun. “You get a prescription in your hand and go to the pharmacy. The last thing you want to do is comparison shop when all you want to do is feel better.”
The app, which Wagner says “leverages our knowledge of the pharmaceutical industry,” is helpful for anyone with prescription drugs, whether or not they’re covered by insurance. She says the price of a drug at one pharmacy might be lower than your copay at another—that’s savings that can really add up.
Wagner says just as inspiring are the stories from people who’ve used the app since it launched three months ago.
“One woman told us that she was literally crying in Walgreens,” Wagner says. “If she had to pay the higher price for her prescription, she said she would have had to wait for her next paycheck to be able to afford it.”
Sun says she’s heard positive feedback from people with families whose prescription costs have gotten out of hand, and even dog and cat owners whose pet insurance doesn’t cover drug costs. One person even thanked her for helping to find cheaper antibiotics for her horse.
“Working in a company like this, we really get to see the impact we have on individuals,” Sun says. “Their stories are really awesome.”
Photos: Katelyn Perry